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The Horse with Nine Lives

In this video from the PBS series NATURE, Kaye Harris shares the inspirational story of her horse Molly. Molly survived Hurricane Katrina only to have her leg severely injured in a dog attack. Louisiana State University's Veterinary Hospital performed their first equine amputation on the horse and with the help of a prosthetic leg Molly is able to live a happy and healthy life.

A prosthesis is any device that replaces a missing part of a body. Artificial limbs are a type of prosthesis that can assist those with congenital limb differences or who have undergone amputations.

Human beings have been fashioning artificial limbs for centuries. The earliest limbs were often made of wood or metal and had little, if any mobility. As time went on, these were replaced with models that used lighter materials like fiberglass and that could move in ways similar to natural limbs.

Eventually, scientists were able to design robotic limbs that can be controlled by other functioning muscles. Today scientists are perfecting limbs that can be connected to a patient’s nervous system and controlled directly with their mind. The ultimate goal will be to create limbs that allow users to “feel,” making it easier to complete intricate tasks that require sensory feedback.

As an extension, have students research and present on topics related to artificial limbs. Possible topics include: the Paralympics, Phantom Limb Syndrome, 3-D printed limbs, high fashion and prosthetics, etc.

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Funder:Major support for NATURE is provided by the Arnhold Family, in Memory of Clarisse Arnhold, the Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, and the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation. Support is also provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS.